Monster
by InvisibleGeek
Summary: "Sometimes I forget what its like outside, or if there is one at all. I'm sometimes convinced that there's nothing out there but darkness, and that my memories are the shadows of forgotten dreams." His grip went visibly slack, and for a moment, the guardians began to wonder.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness.

Sometimes it's all I remember.

Sitting in the liquid black, my world void of light and sound.

It wasn't always this way, on occasion, I can dimly remember light. The way the sun felt against my skin, the wind tossing me in playful excitement.

My fingers traveled the length of the cell walls, the smooth ice so flawless and consistent that I began to feel sick. I couldn't even take comfort in the material the prison was made from, its walls felt ceraceous under my fingertips.

I curled into a ball, holding my stomach against the dry heaves that over took my weak body. Spit froze on my lips and chin, and I closed my eyes against the sickly feeling pulsing through me. It's been too long, I haven't heard a voice in what felt like an eternity. Only ringing silence. The endless silence.

Who was I?

Jack Frost.

A voice startled me, and with shock I realized that I had spoken, an ability I had thought lost.

"Jack Frost.."

I continued to speak aloud, repeating my name like a mantra.

"Jack Frost."

My pale, trembling, fingers stilled. Strength growing seemingly from nowhere.

"Jack Frost."

My hoarse voice croaked as it increased in volume, my blue eyes opening.

"Jack Frost."

I crawled to the cells bars, white knuckled fists gripping the ice poles.

"Jack Frost!"

I was screaming now, and distantly I could see lantern light swinging against the white walls. The ice reacted to my rage, hoarfrost growing into spikes as I screamed against the darkness.

"Jack Frost!"

Yes, it was rage I felt. Burning past my sickness, strengthening my limbs. They took me from my home, fake smiles and promises warming my heart and gaining my trust. Then they took my staff and threw me in here, away from the sky and the stars. Away from the snow and the sun. Away from the wind and my staff. Away, away, away.

"JACK FROST!" I roared, my now glowing blue eyes making out the oncoming form of a beast, it's furry body taking up much of the hallway. Other spirits heard my cries, and began yelling out their names, denying this nothingness we've been forced to endure.

The beast and his orange lantern now stood in front of me, his beady eyes glinting in anger. I looked back into those eyes, chin raised in defiance. The ice spikes grew taller, and I smirked, my enraged voice leaving my throat in calm, scratchy intractability.

"Hello Phil. It's been a while."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Toothina glided into the globe room, her silk robes swaying, unable to stop the smile that grew upon entering. North's workshop was truly one of her favorite places on the planet. It smelled of Christmas, with elves and yetis bustling, lights twinkling, and magnificent toys that peeked ones imagination.

Glimmers of golden light caught her eye, and she turned to greet a small glowing man made entirely of shifting sands, a silver circlet resting on his brow. His face held a serene, almost tired smile to it, and he raised his goblet to her. "Sandy! How've you been?" She gushed, feathers simmering under the soft glow of his rising sand. Albeit before her violet orbs could decipher his floating messages, coordinates shot through her brain, their small talk suddenly forgotten and irrelevant. She stiffened, immediately relaying to her hovering fairies, watching the miniature replicas dart about, zipping through the air in colorful streaks.

Sandy sighed in defeat, rolling his eyes and gliding over elves to the egg nog. Refilling his sliver goblet, the glittering man nodded to a fairy that was headed outside, she being polite enough to give him a passing wave.

Suddenly, the massive oak doors flew open, a bone-chilling wind filled the hall and frost laced up the nearest walls, throwing the tiny fairy back to her Queen. Sandy, being as light as he is, was blown backwards, his goblet falling to the floor with a clang.

Gathering his bearings, he moved back to the table, looking around for his goblet, the wind still screaming its rage filled cry. A smiling elf handed it to him, its expression not faltering as Sandy's tired face melted into shock. The previously warm drink was frozen, the ripples from the wind now solid ridges.

A pooka, with tribal markings on his gray fur and a hooded poncho swinging from his shoulders, tried in vain to close the doors he opened, spring green eyes wide with panic. Toothina flew up to the new comer, helping him shut the ancient carved doors against the unnatural wind that continuously blew in.

As though all was forgiven, the wind randomly changed direction, leaving the building and bringing the giant doors to a close behind itself.

"Thanks mate." Aster sarcastically breathed as the door banged shut, eyes darting. He spotted North as the large, tattooed man entered the room, happiness quickly fading from his expression. "What is wrong Bunny?" He asked, noting the unnaturally cold temperature. The pooka bonded up to him, the two other guardians listening in.

"He's at it again North."

No trace of mirth was left as his words sunk in, the man looking around with disappointment. "Ahh..." His gaze hardened, and he barked out orders, authority strengthening his voice."Kevin, Frank, watch the elves. We're going to cliffs."

Toothina's wings snapped shut in excitement, and she landed on the ground, squealing, "Really!?" She gracefully spun into the air, her incandescent robes swirling with memories, before the coordinates flashed and she forgot to be excited, obediently relaying to her fairies.

Sandy shook his head, rolling his eyes at his coworkers reaction, his circlet glinting. She had some sort of twisted fascination with their most troublesome criminal, and never got to see him because of the fact.

Bunny twitched nervously, pupils shrinking with dread. "We're all going? Why? I don't think that's a good idea North."

A few elves delivered the legend his golden coat and a yeti gave him his jewel embedded swords, grunting in greeting. The former Cossack slipped into his signature garments, smiling grimly in response. "Why shouldn't we? He is problem no? We'll handle it together." With that he left the building, holding out a hand against the biting wind, his feet taking an all too familiar path to a ice bridge.

Toothina was quick to follow, wrist and head feathers fluttering in response to the gelid temperature, already gushing over the trapped spirit. "It's been so long! What, thirty years? Forty? Ooooo! I'm so excited!"

Sandy patted reluctant Aster on the back, his sands comically forming into winter gear, then left the building's warmth with shoulders hunched. "Fine!" The pooka exclaimed, making his way after the three guardians, griping all the while about the cold.

Past the caves that served as the yetis homes, was the thin ice bridge, which hung frozen over a deep chasm of darkness. Stepping foot onto it, North shivered. Inside the shadows was where they kept the worst immortal criminals, condemning them to an eternity of entrapment. Most slept, awaiting the Day of Fate, which was when condemnedFather Time declared would be the death of them...or their liberation. Sandy and Tooth were nervous of the prophecy, and Aster couldn't care less. North considered all of it gibberish, especially coming from a blind, insane immortal.

Huffing indignantly, North continued to cautiously walk forward, squinted eyes raised to the ice tower that held their weakest spirits.

They cautiously made their way across, halting only when the wind's bursts became too dangerous to endure, Sandy's sand securing them tightly to the slick bridge. Bunny whimpered on one particularly angry blast, the darkness unnaturally deepening below in reaction to his fear.

On the other side stood a Yeti, waving his arms frantically, his fur iced over and spiked at odd angles. North patted the beast on the back, ignoring the crunching sound made upon impact. "Phil! How is life on this side of abyss?"

The yeti gave him a half lidded stare, as though asking, 'what do you think?'

North nodded, not truly interested to begin with, then turned to his fellow guardians, the tallest of which was struggling to get off of the slick bridge. "I wish we could use the tunnels mate! Stupid wards against magic.."

North interrupted him, patting his gut that shifted beneath his golden coat and silver robes. "Bunny! If you can't calm down you have to stay here, alone with the wind." He looked around suggestively, and as though in emphasis a freezing gust blasted the Christmas and Easter deities backwards, closer to the edge. "Okay! Okay mate!" He cried, furry fists nervously twisting in his poncho. "But after this I'm going to the warren," he gulped, green eyes darting. "Forget about the meeting."

Toothina sighed in response to their antics, inching towards the moonlight ward. It simmered in the pale suns glow, made of woven moonbeams, and it objectively secured the cave entrance.

Phil grumbled at the miniature fairy fluttering by his face, lifting his gloved hand to the shifting ward. His palm rested against it and glimmered, a white, oval shaped jewel imbedded in the glove sparked, it's glow blooming into a stunning brilliance.

Bunny tightened his fist, which held up his hood against the elements, wincing in the light's harsh glow. When it faded, the ward opened itself, revealing dark, winding hall and allowing the five to enter.

Phil bent to get a lantern, turning the tiny handle, only to find it frozen shut, it's glow reduced to dying orange embers. He grunted, raising his fist and slamming it on the lanterns hinge, breaking the ice. He then carefully lit it, watching with mild anticipation as the flames grew steady.

Now in the tunnels, the guardians felt the hairs, feathers, and sand grains on the back of their necks rise, the air growing colder. As they progressed deeper, the thick darkness gave way to dim blue light, the temperature dropping low enough to snuff out the lantern's pale flame.

Albeit, Phil was fine with that, for the lantern was no longer needed due to the glowing spikes of ice.

Whenever they walked past a cell, the prisoner in that cell screamed, basing their head against the bars. Bunny couldn't refrain from kicking at the groundhog, who asked if he was enjoying his stolen home. He only calmed when a petite hand rested itself on his shoulder, violet eyes letting him know that he was the one with the warren, not the prison cell.

Aside from Phil, Toothina seemed to be the only one who wasn't fazed, smiling still as they walked past spirits screaming her name. Calling her the moons whore and face stealer. They all got called out, Manny's puppets, hypocrites, liars, light reapers, ignorant swine, home stealers, power hunters, etc. Albeit not a single one of them felt any guilt, after all, the moon chose them, not the others.

They got to the end of a particular hall where the spikes grew taller than a yeti, casting a menacing glow on the group. Behind these spikes was a darkened cell that they knew to be the source of all this chaos.

Toothina ducked under a low spike and climbed over another, her wings folded against her back to make her slimmer, the bigger male guardians struggling to do the same.

She stood in front of the cage, North trying to climb over an almost horizontal spike, outspread fingers nearly touching the frosty bars. The cold air felt different in front of the cell, each breath she inhaled chilling her lungs in an almost refreshing way.

"Jack..?" She breathlessly called, her violet eyes alit, voice bouncing off the smooth walls. She leaned forward, listening for a sound, any noise that would indicate the spirits presence, her petite fingers wrapping around the chilled bars.

And then he was there. Pale hands reaching from the darkness and curling around the bars, yanking his young face into the light. Toothina lept into the air in shock, letting go of the cage and beating her wings hard, hands clutched at her chest. He looked the same as always, unnaturally pale with boyish features, cerulean eyes hardened with anger.

It was those eyes that frightened her. Deep with emotion and glowing in the gloom. They made her feel guilty for her actions, despite them being completely justified under the moons jurisdiction.

Shaking the foreign emotion off, she fluttered closer to Jack, albeit still keeping her distance, a nervous smile lighting her features. Her breath appeared in hot coulds between them, and she rubbed her arms, the feeling of enchanted silk soft under her fingertips. "Hello Jack, remember me?"

He raised his head forward, pale hands still clutching the bars, seemingly for support, beams of light highlighting his white hair. Surprise and confusion lowered his guarded expression, before he remembered the light and his eyes narrowed. When he spoke, Toothina felt the foreign emotion gnaw at her stomach and she frowned, wondering if this was why her friends never let her visit him. Jack's voice was rough and warped, the words struggling to form in their unpracticed state. "Its hard to remember anything but darkness, but yes, I remember you. Vaguely. You're the fairy with the soft voice and wicked words." His gaze held so much pain, so much hatred and confusion, that for a moment Toothina questioned. Was this rig-

Her though was cut off as three more coordinates shot into her brain, the concept she was about to grasp gone from her mind. She immediately relayed to her fairies, not realizing that none were present and her words were gibberish. North and the others finally made it over to her, the male guardians all glaring at the prisoner with equal vehemence. The white haired spirit sunk back into the shadows, hands unconsciously traveling to the back of his head in remembered pain.

Toothina felt disappointment flood her system, turning to her companions. "Now look what you did," she scolded, crossing her arms. "You're scaring him." North shrugged in false apology and Sandy rubbed the back of his neck, bashful. Bunny snorted, shooting another glare Jack's way and taking out his Boomerang. "He deserves it if ya ask me, stirring up trouble. If I was in his position I'd sit and do my time like a good spirit."

The guardians jumped as Jack grabbed the bars again, coming into the light to reveal his rage. "Just how long is 'my time'!? I didn't even do anything and you've kept me captive here for most of my life!" The Pooka opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off as the spirit continued, his voice softening. "Sometimes I forget what its like outside, or if there is one at all. I'm sometimes convinced that there's nothing out there but darkness, and that my memories are the shadows of forgotten dreams." His grip went visibly slack, and for a moment, the guardians began to wonder.

Then another spirit screamed and they jumped, the tense air cleared and questions forgotten. The Pooka had jumped the highest, fur sticking up in sudden fear, and Jack found it somewhere within to laugh. The sound was odd, due to his voice, and it sounded more like a strangled sob, but it lightened his heart. Albeit as the Easter entity realized the sound for what it was, any pity he might've felt vanished. Despite Tooth's cries against it, Bunny reached out quickly, grabbing Jack's strange colored locks and yanking his head forward, bringing his other hand down forcedly. Jack screamed when the boomerang hit home, falling out of Bunny's grasp and onto the cell floor, hands clutching his head.

Bunny knelt down by the bars, looking in at Jack. "I don't care if you lose your memory entirely, just stop with the nonsense. If you were worth the effort, Manny would tell us to free you, but you're not. To him, to us, and to every other spirit, you're nothing." He stood, pulling his poncho hood back on. His words seemed to do the trick, the ice shards already shrinking and retreating back into the walls.

North laughed as they began walking back the way they came, finding humor in how easy it was to crush the vermin below them. Everyone went there so determined to help fix the problem, and it turned out all they needed was Bunny. Sandy tapped his arm, smiling up at the Cossack as the image of a penguin and a frowny face formed above him. They both laughed, ignoring Toothina who rolled her eyes, trying to stop herself from glancing back at the moaning criminal.

**_To explain the guardians odd behavior: They've spent all of their immortal lives as the moon's puppets, and because they're brainwashed and spoiled they've lost sight of their centers. They don't even realize the unrighteousness of their actions. _**


End file.
